What Happens In Vegas
by Mac-alicious
Summary: ...doesn't always stay in Vegas. Derek, Casey, Sam and Emily take a trip to Vegas to celebrate their graduation from college and it takes an interesting turn. Complete.
1. Viva Las Vegas

**A/N: **This is the first chapter of my new multi-chapter Life with Derek story. LWD won in my poll for which category I should write my next multi-chapter for. So hence this story. I have a few chapters ready already, and they'll be put up sometime after this one. I want to say that for the sake of the story, Derek, Casey, Sam and Emily all went to the same college and graduated at the same time. Derek and Casey have become makeshift friends over the years. And I'm sorry for the lack of supporting LWD character, I'll honor them in other stories because they don't hold much importance in this one. Also I don't know the likelihood of him getting a flight/hotel so quickly but if it's not possible these days I apologize. Bear with me for the story. Enjoy! R&R! Thanks! –Mac

**Disclaimer: **I don't own LWD.

**Chapter One**

**Viva Las Vegas**

"We just graduated from _college_, man. We need to do something big, like tonight," Derek exclaimed, as he sat with Sam at the graduation party George and Nora were throwing for him and Casey.

"What do you have in mind, Derek?" Sam asked cautiously. He was wary of what his best friend might suggest.

"I don't know!" Derek answered excitedly, finishing off his cup of punch. "It doesn't matter. We can be spontaneous Sam. We have no obligations, nothing tying us down. It's summer and we're college _graduates_. We could do _anything_!"

"You're really excited about this, aren't you?" Sam smiled an amused smile.

"Well, yeah," Derek responded, calming a little bit. "I mean, Derek Venturi just graduated from college. Who woulda thought that would ever happen?"

Sam snickered, "I had faith in you man. And I wasn't the only one. Should we include the girls?" Sam asked, gesturing toward where Casey and Emily were having an animated conversation. "Cause, they just graduated too."

Derek shrugged, "I guess we could. Good luck getting Casey to agree to anything we come up with to do. She's too uptight to be spontaneous."

"Come on, you know that's not true. We've gotten her to lighten up the last few years. And you know our college experience wouldn't have been the same without her," Sam said, nudging Derek slightly.

"You mean we wouldn't have had to spend half our time forcefully dragging her out of her dorm or apartment to go to parties with us?" Derek replied sarcastically. "Man, I couldn't have lived without that."

"Remember how we did that as repayment for how much help she gave us with our classes?" Sam stared Derek down pointedly.

"Eh, we would have fared fine without her help," Derek avoided looking at Sam. He brought his empty cup to his lips, and then glared at it when he realized it was still empty.

"As I recall, if she hadn't helped you study you would have failed too many classes to keep your hockey scholarship…" Sam trailed of, knowing he had wound up Derek enough.

"Okay, so fine, we can include the girls," Derek conceded, then began to head for the refreshments table, "I need more punch."

-+-+-+-+-

"Hey Casey," Sam greeted as he arrived in front of her and Emily. "Emily."

"Hey Sam," Casey smiled, "Enjoying the party?"

"Yeah," Sam nodded. "Actually, Derek and I were—"

"Derek?" Casey questioned, cutting Sam off. "Where is he anyway?"

Sam glanced behind him then quickly back at the girls. He laughed nervously, shooting them a smile. "He was right behind me a second ago. Excuse me a minute."

Casey shot Emily a confused look. Emily just shrugged and they turned to watch Sam move through the crowd. Craning their necks to see, they watched as Sam found Derek on the other side of the room. From the looks of it, Sam was arguing with Derek, waving his hands wildly and pointing in their direction. They giggled as Derek's shoulders slumped in defeat and the two boys headed their way.

"Act normal," Casey shot at Emily jokingly and they laughed again.

As they appeared in front of them, Sam patted Derek on the back. He continued where he had left off before realizing Derek was missing, "As I was trying to say, Derek and I were thinking of having our own private celebration."

"Another party?" Emily piped up.

"Not exactly," Sam shook his head. "We weren't sure what we wanted to do up until a few minutes ago. We were thinking more of a…"

"A trip," Derek finished for him.

"A trip to where?" Casey frowned.

Derek threw his hands up in the air, "See, I told you she wouldn't be into it."

"No, we're into it, aren't we Casey?" Emily's gaze was intense on Casey. Casey sighed and nodded in agreement. Where are we going?"

"Sin City," Derek answered, when he got no response, he continued, "The City that Never Sleeps, The Gambling Capital of the World? _Nothing_? You guys are _so_ lame." Derek rolled his eyes and finally gave it to him, "Las Vegas."

Emily squealed, "Las Vegas? Oh my, that sounds like so much fun."

"It will be," Derek smirked and offered his fist to Sam. Sam pounded it and nodded.

"So you in?" Sam asked hopefully.

"Just the four of us?" Casey questioned, clearly not excited as the other three.

"Yeah," Sam answered.

"Is that a problem for you Spacey?" Derek taunted.

Casey sent him a glare and he chuckled. She responded, "I'm just not sure it's the best idea. When are we supposed to leave? How are we going to pay for it? Where are we going to stay? And the only time you've ever been to the States is for hockey games. We don't know the city. Do you really think it's a good idea to go to an unfamiliar city alone?"

"Case, calm down," Derek put a hand up to halt her rambling. "We're all adults here Casey. People travel to unfamiliar cities all the time. They're called _tourists_. Besides if we get a hotel on the Strip, the only real navigation we'll need to worry about it getting from the airport to the hotel and that's what taxis are for. The Strip will have everything we need: casinos, restaurants, nightclubs, _everything._"

"You've given this more thought than I thought," Sam replied.

"Well, remember when the team wanted to go on a celebratory trip after the championship?" Derek said.

"Then half the guys got the flu, including me…" Sam nodded and then shivered at the memory.

"I'm kinda going off the plans they had then," Derek continued. "Do I need to go on Casey? Because you're kind of ruining the spontaneous quality of the trip."

"No, I got it," Casey folded her arms across her chest. "I'm still not convinced yet though."

Derek sighed, "Hey guys, can you give me a minute to talk to her alone?"

"Sure," Sam agreed, guiding Emily away as they shared a confused look.

"Derek, you have to understand my reservations," Casey replied once they were alone. "My mom and George are never going to go for it and—"

"Okay, I'm going to say this one more time, Princess," Derek interrupted. "We're _adults_ Casey, and we just graduated from _college_. We don't need our parents' permission. We don't even live here anymore!"

"So we don't need permission," Casey continued, "But how do you expect to pay for it?"

"We both have savings. No one would fault us for splurging a little bit to celebrate our accomplishments," Derek responded, "Besides, I would imagine some of those cards people are leaving us, probably have some pretty substantial checks."

"I still don't know," Casey murmured, looking down at the floor.

"Are you going to make me beg, Casey? Because I will. I'll beg," Derek pleaded, "Please Casey…_please_?"

Casey glanced up in time to catch the puppy dog pout Derek put on. She had to stifle a laugh, "Why do you want me to go so bad anyway?"

"_I_ don't," Derek cleared the lump in his throat, betraying him and revealing his lie. He attempted to cover for himself, "Sam said he wouldn't go if I couldn't convince you and Emily to go. He doesn't want you to feel left out since you deserve a chance to celebrate and cut loose as much as we do."

Casey took a deep breath and drew it out, "_Fine_. I'll go."

"Great!" Derek exclaimed, clapping his hands. He put an arm around Casey's shoulders, leading her in the direction Sam and Emily had disappeared in. "You won't regret this."

"I think I already am," Casey groaned.

"Hey, have I ever steered you wrong before?" Derek asked innocently.

"Yes, many times," Casey answered simply.

"Well, I'm not _this time_," Derek shrugged. "And we had a good time in college together, didn't we?"

"I guess so," Casey responded.

"This is going to be even _more_ fun," Derek replied, "I can get online and get us tickets and a hotel reservation. We can be in Vegas by this time tomorrow night!"

-+-+-+-+-

And by that time the next night, they were walking into a hotel room in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Derek grinned as he stepped further in, "We have arrived. Let the fun begin."

"Wow," Emily surveyed the room. "This is amazing. I've never stayed in a hotel room this nice. I've never stayed in a hotel room that was more than one room."

"We had to get a large suite," Derek shrugged. "There are two rooms, one with two beds and one with one queen…"

"Wait, three beds?" Casey questioned.

"Yeah, it's all they had with more than two," Derek answered. "Plus Sammy already volunteered to crash on one of the couches."

"More like I lost a coin toss," Sam muttered.

"Right, but cheer up Sammy. You'll still enjoy yourself. Not gonna be sleeping much anyway, now are we?" Derek replied. "So girls get the room with the two beds, I get the queen, and Sam…gets the pick of a couch."

As Derek moved to explore the rest of the suite, Casey walked over to Sam, "I'll switch off with you if you would like."

"Nah," Sam waved her off. "Thanks a lot Casey, but I'll be fine. We're not going to be here _too_ long. Plus, Derek would be all over me if I took the bed from you."

"Derek could care less if I had to sleep on the floor," Casey scoffed.

"You'd be surprised," Sam responded.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Just that," Sam shrugged. "You would be surprised at just how much Derek would care."

"He didn't even want me to come. He said he only invited me and Emily because _you_ made him—you refused to go if we didn't," Casey recounted.

"I did no such thing," Sam whipped around to face her. "Did he tell you that I said that?"

"Yes…isn't that what I just said?" Casey frowned.

"He is so full of it," Sam shook his head. "I suggested we include you when we weren't sure what we were going to do. He was reluctant because he thought you would shoot all our ideas down. Then he came up with the idea to go to Vegas, and _he_ was the one who really, _really_ wanted you two to go."

"But you had to drag him over to invite us. When you went over to talk to him at the party, that wasn't you convincing him that he had to invite us?" Casey found it hard to comprehend that _Derek_ wanted her on this trip, and even if he did, she couldn't understand why.

"No," Sam corrected, "That was me telling him if he wanted you to go so bad, he needed to help talk you into it. He's always had better skills of persuasion over you than I did."

Sam had sat down on the couch nearest to him and draped his arms over the back. Casey shook her head as she laughed lightly. She sat down beside Sam and smiled as she said, "Derek has no power over me."

"He got you here, didn't he?" Sam raised an eyebrow. Casey didn't respond, so he continued, "Don't get me wrong, I'm glad you're here. It makes things easier on me."

"How so?" Casey asked.

"You're the only one who's ever kept Derek from going overboard with the drinking," Sam answered, then mumbled under his breath, "I suspect because he doesn't want to blurt something out in front of you that he'd regret in the morning."

"What?" Casey frowned in confusion.

"Nothing," Sam responded quickly, before changing the subject, "So now that you're here, are you excited?"

Casey smiled widely, "You know what? I am. I can't wait to hit the town."

-+-+-+-+-

Derek had explored every corner of his room of the suite, including the bathroom that joined to it. He had inspected every little bottle of shampoo and conditioner and the small soaps. He was about to head back out to join his friends and Casey when something stopped him in his tracks. He paused in the doorway to his room, watching as Casey sat with Sam, laughing and smiling. Derek frowned, before he realized it shouldn't matter to him if Casey and Sam were sitting close together and sharing a laugh. Suddenly, Emily popped up in front of him, blocking his view of Casey and Sam.

"Hey Derek, is your room as awesome as ours?" Emily attempted to peek in his door. When he didn't immediately respond, she looked at him more closely, "Are you all right Derek?"

"Do you ever think they'll get back together?" Derek blurted out the question without realizing it.

Emily followed his gaze over her shoulder, turning to look at Sam and Casey before turning back to Derek. "Who? Sam and Casey? Not likely. I think you and I have a better chance at trying again—which of course is never going to happen. So no…I guess is my answer…no I don't think they ever will. Besides Casey is…"

"'Casey is…what?'" Derek prompted

"Nothing," Emily responded. "Never mind. But you can rest assured that those two are so never getting back together."

"You're hiding something from me," Derek stated, staring Emily down.

"Maybe I am, maybe I'm not," Emily replied vaguely and then continued in sing song, "You'll never know."

"If it's about Casey, you know I'll find out eventually," Derek smirked.

Emily laughed at his certainty, "As long as it's not from me, then it's cool. That way Casey can't kill me for breeching her confidence."

Derek watched as Emily walked away. She hopped around the couch to situate herself between Sam and Casey. Derek shook his head as he walked over to join them. If Emily wasn't going to tell him, he was going to find out one way or another—even if it had to come from Casey herself. He clapped his hands and rubbed them together to get all their attention.

"Okay, I say we change and freshen up and go out on the town, hit a casino or a nightclub or something," Derek replied.

"Now?" Casey raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, why not?" Derek responded, "We're in Vegas, baby. Let's go wild!"


	2. Come Try Your Luck

**A/N: **This is the second chapter of What Happens in Vegas…. This is still part of the set up, the real gist of the story really comes in with Chapter 3. I make no claims to knowing the probability of any kind of lucky streak at Blackjack, so forgive anything that might not seem realistic. Also, I want to officially issue an apology to anyone named Amber. I'm not going to say why, but you'll see why by the end of the chapter. The things said are not to be taken as a representation of how I feel about that name (either way, I kinda just picked a name that kinda sounded the way that Derek describes it…) Still I'm sorry. Forgive me. Lol. Anyway, enjoy! R&R! Thanks! –Mac

**Disclaimer: **I don't own LWD.

**Chapter Two**

**Come Try Your Luck**

Derek and Sam were lounging on the couch, anxious to go, when Casey and Emily emerged from their room. It was obvious, from the uncomfortable expression on Casey's face, that Emily had chosen her outfit. As any hot-blooded male would, Derek greatly appreciated the choice. Sam started to get up to approach them, but Derek reached out one arm, pushing him back down, while he got up first instead. Derek walked over to them, now with Sam one step behind him.

"Wow Casey, I didn't know you to show off so much…" Derek paused, sweeping his eyes up and down her body, "…skin."

"Der-_ek_!" Casey exclaimed and Derek smirked as he raised his gaze back up to meet hers. "Your hormones are showing."

Derek began to pat his chest dramatically, "Where?"

Casey walked forward, sliding past Derek while her hand glided across his chest. She leaned in to whisper almost against his ear, "You might want to check a little lower."

Emily laughed as she followed Casey toward the door, "Coming boys?"

Sam patted Derek on the back, "Could you _be_ any more obvious?" When Derek didn't respond, Sam followed his line of sight—Derek was still watching Casey as she swayed her hips out the door. Sam chuckled, "Pick your jaw off the floor. _Gawking is tacky_."

"I'm not gawking," Derek was brought back to his senses.

"You so are," Sam shook his head, "But I can understand why—"

Derek rounded on Sam, gripping the front of his shirt tightly to draw Sam up close to him, "I was cool the first time, but if you try and mess around with Casey again, there will be consequences."

"Whoa!" Sam put his hands up in surrender, "If I made the impression that I was going after her again, I apologize. I have no intention of doing that. So could you let go of me and explain to me what the _hell_ gave you the impression I was?"

"Sorry, man," Derek replied as he released Sam. Sam straightened his shirt as Derek backed away. Derek coughed lightly, "I overreacted a bit."

"Yeah you did," Sam responded.

"Sorry," Derek repeated.

Sam shook his head, "You got it bad."

"Do not," Derek defended.

"Whatever you say, Derek," Sam said, "But if you want to keep up with the 'I-don't-care' façade, you might want to try a little harder to hide those pesky feelings of yours."

"Are you two coming or should we go alone?" Casey's voice suddenly washed over them.

She was standing in the open doorway of their hotel room with her hands on her hips. She raised an eyebrow as the two boys turned to her. Sam and Derek shared a quick look, before they both headed for the door. As the three exited the hotel room, Derek threw an arm around Casey's shoulders.

"You ready to have fun tonight, Casey?" Derek asked, a grin spreading across his face as they headed down the hall to meet Emily. "Let's see what this town has to offer."

-+-+-+-+-

Before the group headed to a nightclub, the boys insisted they make a stop at the casino attached to their hotel. While Derek and Sam sat down at a blackjack table, Casey and Emily snagged a couple of open slot machines nearby. Casey was absentmindedly pulling the slot, while keeping most of her attention on the boys at the blackjack table. After awhile, Emily nudged her, trying to draw her attention.

"What?" Casey finally responded.

"Why don't you just tell him?" Emily asked.

"Tell who, what?" Casey played dumb as she pulled the lever on her slot machine once again earning a few credits.

"You know who and you know what," Emily responded firmly. "And the whole sidelong glance thing you do has totally evolved into full on staring."

"Has not!" Casey exclaimed.

Emily laughed, "Your less then subtle behavior may be lost on him, but I see right through you. And he's going to figure it out eventually."

"Not likely," Casey shook her head. "If he hasn't after seven years, he's not going to."

"Don't underestimate him Casey," Emily replied, "You've only become very blatantly obvious the last couple months or so. Think it has anything to do with the fact you actually might not see each other every day anymore? You know that's why we're even here right now. You couldn't imagine him being gone for an undeterminable amount of time without you."

"Will you stop it?" Casey cut off any further musings.

"Stop what?" Emily raised an eyebrow.

Casey grumbled, "Being right."

"Aha!" Emily exclaimed, "I knew it. You can't live without him!"

"Don't be melodramatic, I wouldn't go so far as to say that," Casey shook her head, then as she looked back over at the blackjack table added, "Doesn't look like he's having a good run there. I'm going to check it out."

Casey got up from her machine and crossed the floor to where Derek and Sam were sitting. As she was approaching, the dealer was collecting another hand and she saw Derek shaking his head in disbelief. Sam chuckled but patted his arm in a comforting manner. Casey slid up next to his chair and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Doesn't look like you're having any luck here," Casey replied, "Sure you haven't walked under any ladders or broken any mirrors lately?"

"No, I haven't," Derek began, but his witty response died in his throat as he hit Blackjack on the next dealt hand, "…but maybe my luck is looking up."

Casey laughed and started to back away, "Doubt it will keep up."

"No stay," Derek replied. He slipped an arm around her waist and pulled her against his side. "Be my good luck charm."

The next hand was dealt and he landed two tens, he split to gain a twenty and a nineteen, getting a pay out on both when the dealer busted. The whole time Casey stood and watched Derek won nearly every deal. Sam had colored up long before, but Derek kept going until Emily finally stalked over to whine about how she wanted to _dance_. Derek begrudgingly colored up and left the table with a nice little profit. He kept his arm around Casey as they walked through the casino.

"I'm never gambling without you again," Derek said, pulling Casey close against his side.

"You hit one lucky streak," Sam replied. "Try doing it again."

"I will," Derek pointed a finger at Sam.

"Okay, enough about gambling," Emily waved her hands at them and Casey smiled. "I need a drink and a dance floor, and then I'll be a happy woman."

Casey's smile widened, "I hear you."

-+-+-+-+-

The nightclub was packed with people in various stages of intoxication. The four friends had all gotten a first drink together and then it was everyone for themselves. Emily had thrown back two consecutive shots before she had disappeared into the crowd, tugging Sam behind her. Derek had raised an eyebrow and Sam simply shrugged as he followed her. Casey attempted to keep an eye on them from her seat next to Derek at the bar, but had quickly lost sight of them as they headed for the center of the dance floor. Laughing lightly to herself, she gave up and signaled for a bartender. She ordered herself a nice mix drink to sip on while Derek ordered a beer.

"Could you be any more of a girl?" Derek asked as the bartender fixed their drinks.

"Would you rather I be a man's man?" Casey countered and Derek sputtered.

"No!" Derek replied, "But those frilly drinks are so _cliché_."

"Don't knock it 'til you try it," Casey responded. She accepted her drink from the bartender. "Do you want to try it?"

Derek shook his head as she tilted her drink toward him. He raised his beer to her, "I'm good with this."

"Cheers," Casey said and they clinked their glasses together. They each took a few sips off their drinks without another word.

"You glad you came, Casey?" Derek suddenly asked.

Casey turned to look at him. She frowned, "Yes I am. Why do you ask?"

"Well, we're celebrating. I wanted to make sure _everyone _is having fun. I _know_ Emily is having fun," Derek laughed, sparing a glance toward the crowded dance floor.

"Maybe _too much_ fun," Casey added.

"And I don't need to worry about Sammy boy having a good time—hand him a couple beers and free reign of a city and he's good to go. I know I'm having fun already, so that leaves you…" Derek explained. "And I have to ask, because I can never tell with you."

"Aw, I thought you knew me better than that, _Der_," Casey replied.

"Hey, I do know you better than anyone. But this trip is _my_ kind of fun, which at times you enjoy and other times you despise," Derek shrugged.

"I actually think this trip is all of our kinds of fun. We're all _definitely _getting something out of it so far," Casey responded.

"So you're having fun?"

"I am," Casey nodded, "I'm having fun watching Emily falling all over Sam."

Casey gestured toward where Emily and Sam had emerged at the edge of the dance floor. Derek followed her gaze to see Emily dancing rather suggestively against Sam. Casey laughed at the expression that appeared on Derek's face. She almost wanted to remind him to pick his jaw up off the floor.

"What's gotten into her?" Derek questioned, turning back to Casey with a look of utter confusion crossing his features.

"It's the liquid courage," Casey answered, raising her drink. "Emily has the lowest tolerance for alcohol that I've ever bore witness to. She's already had a few shots of hard alcohol. I wouldn't be surprised if she started doing somersaults across the dance floor or declared her undying love to a chair."

"We should stop her from drinking anymore then," Derek stated.

"No," Casey shook her head, "As long as Sam keeps an eye on her, she'll be fine. It would be better if she realizes her own mistake in the morning. Plus it's entertaining for me."

Derek laughed, "You're cruel. I like it."

"I learned from the best," Casey raised her glass to his once again.

-+-+-+-+-

Casey and Derek had been sitting at the bar together, talking and occasionally looking out to watch Sam and Emily, since they had arrived at the nightclub. They had ordered another round of drinks, but they were under no intention to drink too much on the first night there. Despite his earlier exclamation to go wild, he had decided that going truly crazy should be saved for later—a rule Emily was purely contradicting. It had escaped Casey's notice, but Emily had returned to the bar, some ways down from Derek and Casey, to retrieve fresh drinks. Casey was too preoccupied with her conversation with Derek. Sure they had gotten closer during their years at college, especially since they had rented the apartment together, but she felt they were truly bonding right then. In a nightclub in Las Vegas, no less.

Casey was about to respond to a question Derek had asked her when a leggy blonde sauntered up past her to stand between her and Derek. Casey had to stop herself from rudely accosting the girl for interrupting their conversation. The girl's behavior was certainly inconsiderate and rude, but Casey realized she had no claim over Derek. If he wanted to send the girl away that was his choice, not hers. Though Casey had images of throwing herself at the girl and scratching her eyes out flash before her eyes. She took a large gulp of her drink to sweep them away, and listened in on the conversation that was occurring next to her.

"Hey, there," the girl began and though Casey could only see the back of the clearly bleached-blonde girl's head, she could imagine the wide, fake smile the girl was flashing Derek. "I'm Amber."

"Hi Amber," Derek responded, sounding almost _disinterested,_ which surprised Casey.

"I've been watching you sit here for awhile. I was wondering if you needed someone to join you out on the dance floor, because I would definitely be willing to take you out there," Amber said, angling her body even closer to Derek.

Casey wondered if the girl really believed that voice was sexy and seductive—because it only made her want to vomit on the back of Amber's head.

"I'm not really the dancing type," Derek responded, "And if you were really watching me for as long as you said, you had to notice I am actually here with someone."

Amber glanced over her shoulder and Casey gave her a small wave for effect. Amber narrowed her eyes, before turning back to Derek, "Your girlfriend?"

"For all you know, she could have been," Derek answered. "But just so you know, she's not. _However_, the impolite way you interrupted our conversation is a little too forward for my tastes. Sorry Amber."

Amber scoffed as she walked away, "Your loss."

"Not so sure about that," Derek muttered, taking a long swig off his bear. Casey stared at the side of his face until he turned to her, "What?"

"Why did you shoot her down?" Casey questioned, "She was totally your type."

"So now you know my type?" Derek responded, a grin forming on his lips.

"Yeah," Casey nodded with a small smirk. "Anything alive and breathing, in a skirt and heels."

"Funny," Derek laughed lightly, "But for your information, in Vegas there are a lot of things in a skirt and heels that I would like to avoid."

Casey shook her head, "You know what I meant."

Derek shrugged, looking down his glass.

"The girl was wearing less clothing than I am, which is saying something with the outfit I'm in now. Usually you would be falling over yourself to dance with her," Casey continued.

"Tell me, did you ever once see me with a girl like that in the last four years?" Derek raised an eyebrow.

"Well, _no_," Casey frowned. "You were dating girls more like…more like…"

"More like what Casey?" Derek prompted as she trailed off.

Casey found she would rather not finish the sentence.

Derek waved it off when she didn't answer, "Besides, I'm hanging out with you. Don't say you weren't offended by the way she just squeezed herself in here."

Casey hung her head forward slightly, trying to hide the smile that formed as he hit her reaction right on the head, "I was a little."

"And I'm not about to leave you alone at the bar while I go off to shake it with a girl who really has nothing to offer but a pretty face and nice ass. Her name was Amber for God's sake, doesn't that name just scream dumb-blonde, trashy whore?"

Casey couldn't help but laugh.

"There's a laugh," Derek smirked, nudging her playfully. "Glad you're having a good time."

Casey turned around in her seat to face him fully, "If I asked you to dance with me, would you?"

Derek scrunched up his face as if thinking it over, "Is this a 'my whole trip would be ruined if you don't' moment?"

"No," Casey shook her head, "It's more of a, my drink is gone, I'm a little buzzed, I want to dance and need a partner moment."

"In that case," Derek paused to finish off the last of his drink. He hopped off his seat and offered his hand to her, "Let's go."

"Really?" Casey replied as she took his hand to help her to her feet.

"Yeah," Derek nodded, "If I don't, you might try to fight Emily for Sam and we can't have that. And it's a chance to give Amber more than a death glare aimed at the back of her head."

"How did you—" Casey's eyes widened.

Derek winked at her, "I know you Casey."

As they approached the dance floor, Casey said, "I thought you weren't the dancing type?"

"Well," Derek had to lean close to her ear for her to hear as the music swelled over them, "You _are_. So I'll make an exception."

Derek spun her around in front of him as they found some space in the crowd. Casey closed her eyes for a moment as she began to move her body to the music. She felt Derek's hands find her waist and gently pull her against him. He moved with her, letting his body meld against hers. Casey kept her eyes closed, letting every sensation ripple through her. She raised a hand to hold her hair out of her face, and sped her twisting hips to keep time with the beat of a new song. She could feel Derek's warm breath on the back of her neck, and she leaned further back into him. A part of her thought she shouldn't be dancing this way with him, but she had just enough alcohol coursing through her veins to say to hell with it all. She was in Las Vegas nightclub with him and her best friends. She was having the time of her life, and nothing was going to ruin it. So she threw her inhibitions aside, and just felt the moment.


	3. Are Those Wedding Bells I Hear?

**A/N: **Here' s the next chapter. I'm sorry it's been so long since I last updated. I've had so much stuff written, but no time to type it up or publish it. There are a couple more chapters of this already written. A new LWD chapter story that works as a loose sequel to Careful What You Wish For is also half written and on its way to you guys. Anyway, enjoy! R&R! Thanks! –Mac

**Disclaimer: **I don't own LWD or anything I might have mentioned in here (like the show Friends or the winner, winner, chicken dinner line. I just remember the first time I heard it in the movie 21. I laughed so hard and thought it was amazing, I just had to use it). 

**Chapter Three**

**Are Those Wedding Bells I Hear?**

The morning came with Emily emerging from her room, with one hand pressed against her forehead, "I am _never _drinking like that again."

Casey giggled from her place in the small kitchen-esque area, where she was making coffee, "Funny, I'm pretty sure I have heard that before somewhere."

"Haha," Emily mocked, before sprawling on the couch across from the one Sam was lounging on. "You won't be making fun of me when you have to suffer through the hangover from hell."

"Who Casey?" Derek responded. He was sitting on a stool on the bar side of the kitchen area. He took a sip off the coffee cup Casey slid over to him. "She would never let loose enough to get _that_ drunk."

Casey swatted his head playfully as she passed behind him to bring Sam and Emily coffee as well, which they accepted gratefully. She pouted dramatically and said firmly, "I let loose."

"Sure," Derek snickered. He ducked his head when Casey passed by again to retrieve her own coffee. "I'd like to see you try."

"Ooh," Sam exclaimed, "That sounded like a challenge."

"I could drink you under the table, Venturi," Casey leaned over the counter, narrowing her eyes as they met Derek's.

Derek shook his head "That's not likely."

"Well, why don't we test it out tonight?" Casey raised an eyebrow.

Derek smirked, "Alright, if you're feeling lucky."

"I am," Casey nodded

"I'm not!" Emily exclaimed. "And I don't think I can look at another drink for a long time. So I'm out for tonight."

"Aw, Emily," Casey cooed, her intense staring contest with Derek forgotten. "There has to be something you can do that doesn't involve alcohol."

"We could go see a show?" Sam suggested.

"I could enjoy that," Emily thought about it for a moment. Then she groaned and put an arm up over her eyes. The sunlight flowing in through the large expanse of window was blinding. "Does anyone have aspirin?"

"I'll get some," Casey responded, making a mad dash for her room.

While Emily continued to moan in pain dramatically, Sam got up and walked over to Derek to take advantage of the short absence of Casey. He slipped onto the stool next to Derek. He leaned forward and looked at Derek pointedly. Derek's face expressed his pure confusion—in his uncertainty about Sam's intent, he remained silent. They sat drinking their coffee for awhile until Sam finally spoke.

"So…" Sam trailed off, trying to prompt Derek into a conversation.

"'So…,' what?" Derek questioned.

"So…you get Casey to yourself tonight. That's two nights in a row. You must be excited," Sam replied.

"We weren't alone last night," Derek avoided the main point of what Sam said.

"Yeah, because Girl-Gone-Wilde, over there, and I were such good company last night. I barely saw you," Sam chuckled to himself at the memory of Emily's drunken antics. Then he grew serious—he leaned in closer to Derek and lowered his voice, "_And_, when I did see you…you were all over her on the dance floor."

"We were dancing. When that suddenly equates to a declaration of eternal love, get back to me," Derek waved it off nonchalantly, "Besides, you and Emily weren't any better. Are you saying that was a representation of _your _attraction to _her_?"

Sam glanced back at Emily, "Uh, yeah, that's exactly what I'm saying."

Derek's eyes widened, "You seriously have issues with male code boundaries."

"Would you really have a problem with me asking Emily out?" Sam asked.

"Well, no," Derek answered, "But dude, _still_."

"I'm gonna take her to this show tonight and if the opportunity arises, I'm gonna make a move," Sam responded as he hopped off the stool, "You should do the same with Casey. 'Cause you _know_ you want to."

Casey finally reemerged clutching the aspirin in her hand. "Found it finally. It somehow managed to migrate to the bottom of my bag."

"Thanks," Emily murmured as she took the aspirin from Casey and accepted the water bottle Sam passed her. "So what show should we see, Sam?"

While Sam and Emily discussed the wide array of shows available to them, Casey walked over to Derek. She slipped onto the stool that Sam had vacated only moments before. She looked up at Derek and smiled, "It's just you and me tonight then."

Derek returned the smile, "It appears so."

There was still a long day ahead of them, before night fell on the city. Once Emily's headache began to subside they decided to take a walk down the strip and find a restaurant for lunch. Along the way, they came upon The Little White Wedding Chapel. Casey paused to frown at the large signs out front. Her three companions gathered beside her, following her gaze to read the signs as well.

"The Tunnel of Love Drive-Through Wedding Chapel?" Casey read out loud, "That can't be serious."

"Twenty-four hour Drive-Up Wedding window," Emily followed with the next line. She nodded her appraisal. Quirking one eyebrow, she quickly added, "Hey look, they even offer rates for bicyclists and motorcyclists!"

"My dream come true," Sam exclaimed, "To be married by the King himself, Elvis Presley."

"A drive-through wedding, who could possibly want that?" Casey scoffed.

"Sixteen year old runaways trying to elope, Britney Spears and her fifty-five hour husband, and the drunken Ross and Rachel from _Friends_." Emily answered casually.

The four shared a few wide eyed glances before bursting into hysterical laughter.

"I meant sober, completely sane, right minded people," Casey replied. She had composed herself as the laughter eased off, but she still clutched her stomach which was sore from laughing so hard.

"Oh," Emily responded, "Well none of those."

"I'm starved," Derek piped up, "Can we get a move on?"

Sam and Emily began to walk again and Casey fell into step with Derek. She leaned slightly toward him to whisper, "And you call _me_ princess."

Much to Derek's stomach's relief, they found an all-you-can-eat buffet for lunch. Then as his hunger had been sated, he and Sam were forced to reluctantly follow the girls around while they souvenir shopped. Casey had persuasively explained that if they could let her and Emily find everyone souvenirs without complaint then they wouldn't have to extend their shopping trip into the next day or the day after that or…By then Derek had gotten the idea and agreed to not be too much of a pain while they browsed. That was how Derek found himself stumbling back to their hotel room a few hours later weighed down by the girls' bags—though maybe that was a minor exaggeration on his part. He was, however, comforted by the fact that Sam had suffered the same fate. At the very least, they had arrived at their door.

Derek bristled as Casey took her time getting the door open, grumbling something about _inhumanity_.

"Was that a complaint?" Casey replied. Her hand was on the doorknob, turned and ready to open it, but she paused to raise an eyebrow at him. "Because you know, now that I think about it, I could probably afford to get Marti another gift…"

Emily nodded vigorously, trying to suppress a smile.

"No!" Derek exclaimed quickly. "No complaints. I was just thinking to myself how wonderful it is that you think of everyone even when you're on vacation."

"That's sweet of you Derek," Casey smiled a sickly sweet smile as she pushed open the door and let them in.

The girls took a few bags back to their room while Derek and Sam stacked the rest up on a table. Sam blew out a breath as he was relieved of his last bag. Then he patted Derek on the back as he said, "I knew you could talk Casey into anything, but I had no idea she had the same power over _you_."

Sam had arranged with the hotel to get two tickets to the new _Circe_ show. He and Emily had to leave earlier than Derek and Casey to pick up the tickets. Casey was still getting ready and Derek was sitting on the couch as the two made to leave. Emily went out first and Sam glanced back at Derek from behind her. He winked and smiled widely. Derek only shook his head in response as the door swung closed behind Sam. He thinks maybe he and Sam had switched places somewhere during college. Derek had never had issues with admitting that he wanted a girl, that was always Sam's thing. Now it seemed that _Sam _was the one with all the answers to _Derek's_ girl problems. Derek sighed—he had to admit, if only to himself and no one else, that Sam had been one-hundred percent right when it came to Casey. That didn't mean, however, that Derek was any closer to making a move. He was drawn from his thoughts a few minutes later, when Casey finally came back out of her room. He could tell Emily hadn't had a hand in her attire for this night, as the dress she wore was much more conservative in comparison to the outfit from the previous night. Still Derek thought she looked amazing.

Derek stood as she approached. He smiled as she did a small turn for him. "You look amazing, Casey."

"Why thank you Derek," Casey responded. "It's not as _revealing _as last night's outfit, but it's…"

"More you," Derek finished for her.

"Yeah," Casey nodded. "You ready to go?"

"After you," Derek gestured her toward the door. She walked in front of him and he smirked in appreciation of the view. After a moment of indulgence, he took a few long strides to catch up with her. "We're gonna have fun tonight, you and me. Just us two and this city."

They started the night at the bar in the hotel's restaurant. They had a couple drinks while they listened to the moon music softly playing through the restaurant. Once they were sufficiently loosened up, Derek dragged Casey to the casino to test out his lucky charm theory a second time. Sure enough, with Casey by his side, he hit another lucky streak earning a large profit. While he could never prove that it was Casey's presence that caused him to win, he liked to believe it did. Either way, he kept her pressed against his side for the time he was at the table. Their time in the casino was going by in a whirlwind. People came and went in the chairs around Derek, but still he was winning more often than he lost. Then people from the casino started coming by to offer them complimentary drinks, which they continually accepted. Casey felt her head begin to spin lightly after the first couple, but by then she already felt carefree and lightheaded.

With a giggle, once, she convinced Derek to place a larger bet than what he had been previously placing. She clapped her hands like a child when he did it. They waited for the dealing of the cards with butterflies in their stomachs. He was dealt a King and on the second turn an Ace. _Blackjack_.

"Winner, winner, chicken dinner," the small woman next to him smiled.

Derek was ecstatic—more so than he should have been, but maybe it was all the alcohol in his system. As the dealer passed him the chips for his payout, he excitedly pulled Casey closer to him and leaned up to press a firm kiss to her cheek. Casey giggled again and flushed a bright pink. She could feel her face heat up but she couldn't tell if it was due to embarrassment, excitement or the alcohol.

They accepted another drink, Derek won another hand, and the next thing Casey knew they were at the night club from the night before—and she had no clue how she got there. What she did know was that Derek was buying her more drinks—the frilly girly ones despite his aversion to them—and he had pulled her out on the dance floor. She recalled the experience in flashes—his hands on her waist, the pounding music, the way her breathing quickened when he pulled her against him. Things got hazy for Casey after that, but she clearly remembered seeing that wedding chapel from earlier over again before it all went black.


	4. Just Married

**A/N: **Here's the next chapter of What Happens in Vegas. I have one more already written and likely to be posted soon. Along with my kinda-sequel to Careful What You Wish For which should be arriving shortly. Anyway, enjoy the chapter. R&R. Thanks! –Mac

**Disclaimer: **I don't own LWD.

**Chapter Four**

**Just Married**

Casey woke up still feeling groggy—her mouth was dry and her head was pounding. Now she could understand how Emily had felt the morning before. She fought the urge to declare to the empty room that she was never going to drink again. Her whole body felt heavy and all she wanted to do was roll over and go back to sleep. However, she forced herself to sit up and as she loosened her legs from where they were tangled in the sheets, she realized she still had her clothes on from last night. She brought her hands up to press against her temples in an attempt to relieve the throbbing pain. She thanked God it was dark in the room.

Her hands moved backwards, pushing her hair out of her face. She muttered out loud to herself, "What happened last night?"

"I have no idea," came a grumbled response from next to her.

Casey squeaked as she glanced down at the form next to her. All she could make out was a slight lump under the covers. Then it moved and the blankets fell away. She had to squint to make out Derek's face. He brought a hand up to rub his face. Casey's eyes widened as she stared down at him without a word—her tongue too heavy to form any coherent phrases. Her stomach was doing flips as she tried to remember what had happened the previous night—bar, drinks, casino, blackjack table, drinks, Derek's winning streak, more drinks, the night club, _even more_ drinks, dancing and then…_nothing_. She couldn't remember anything. Her memory was a hazy Technicolor blur. What was worse was she couldn't comprehend what would result in her sharing a bed with Derek.

Wells he could think of _one thing_ that would, but she was pretty certain they hadn't done _that_ since they were pretty much still fully clothed.

"How much did we have to drink?" Derek groaned as he sat up. He rubbed his eyes again and blinked a few times in an attempt to adjust them to the darkness.

Casey stared at him blankly without answering. Her mind was screaming at her that something was very wrong—and she didn't understand how he could be so calm when she was freaking out. She had a feeling that there was a vital memory missing from the previous night and she needed to find out what it was. She threw off the covers, sending the blankets flying into Derek's face. She kept one hand on the edge of the bed to guide herself around it without falling over in the dark. She found the window by the edges of curtain illuminated by the sun hiding behind them. She gripped one edge of the curtains and she heard Derek's strangled voice fill her ears.

"What are you doing, Casey?"

"Look, I'm as hung over as you are and as much as I would like to stay in the dark, I need to see your face," Casey explained rapidly before throwing open the curtains.

"What the hell, Casey?" Derek shielded his eyes, "Are you trying to kill me?"

"What happened last night?" Casey questioned, moving back toward the bed. She kneeled on the edge in front of Derek.

"I don't know," Derek shook his head. He stopped abruptly when the motion began to make him a little woozy.

"What happened last night?" Casey repeated, with more force and a little louder. She leaned forward and gripped the collar of his shirt.

"I can't remember!" Derek finally explained. When Casey released his collar, he fell back onto the pillows with a moan, clutching his head.

"Okay, okay…We can figure this out, we just need to retrace our steps," Casey rambled as she stood up and headed toward his bathroom. "I just need to wash my face and take some aspirin and then I'll have a clear head and I'll…"

By then she had disappeared into the bathroom. Derek tilted his head to try and see her. He could hear her muffled voice for a few seconds after he lost sight of her. And then the mumbles were abruptly cut off as she let out a piercing scream. It jolted through him and he was up and running in a split second. He slid to a stop in the doorway to the bathroom.

Derek wobbled on his feet as his head spun from the quick movement. He stumbled slightly and caught himself on the door jam. He focused his eyes on Casey's from. She was leaning over the sink staring at the mirror, which was still blurry to his eyes. He asked frantically, "What happened?"

"No, no, no, no, no, no…" Casey shook her head as she yelled at the mirror. She kept repeating it with increasing volume.

"You can say that as many times as you want, Casey—though I really wish you wouldn't because I have a massive headache—it's not going to magically change anything. What happened?" Derek repeated.

"Look at that!" Casey seethed, pointing wildly at the mirror.

Derek's vision was still out of focus, so it took a moment for him to blink away the haze. Once he could see the mirror clearly, he could tell why Casey was going crazy. As he took in the words 'Just Married' scrawled across the glass in Casey's shade of lipstick, all the memories from the previous night came slamming back to the forefront of his mind. "Oh shit."

"I need to sit down," Casey murmured as she plopped down on the toilet. She let her face fall into her hands as she let an exasperated sigh.

Derek moved to look closer at the mirror. He nearly had his nose pressed against it when Sam and Emily came stumbling to a stop in the bathroom doorway. Neither Derek nor Casey even turned to acknowledge their arrival even as they began to frantically shoot off questions.

"We heard a scream. Is everything all right?" Emily questioned, looking back and forth between Derek and Casey.

"What the hell happened?" Sam added.

Casey raised a shaky hand to point accusingly at the mirror. Sam and Emily turned to the mirror and took in the lipstick message. Then they burst into hysterics. Casey scowled at them as they laughed without pause. The two were leaning on each for support as they clutched their stomachs. Casey stood up and stalked forward a few steps.

"It's not _funny_," Casey snapped. "This is serious."

Sam made a botched attempt to swallow down his laughter, but spoke anyway before his composure broke, "You're right this is serious. You know, Derek, when I said make a move, I didn't mean propose."

Emily snorted, and then brought a hand up to her mouth as she started to laugh again. "I'm sorry, Casey. I just can't help it. What happened to you two last night?"

Casey lowered her eyes and it wasn't until then that she noticed the state that her friends were in. They were both disheveled, their hair sticking up in all directions. Sam was shirtless and standing in only a pair of shorts. Emily was drowning in a button down shirt which obviously did not belong to her. Casey frowned and shook a finger at Emily.

"That's Sam's shirt," Casey replied. She raised an eyebrow. "What happened with _you_, last night?"

Emily flushed a bright crimson, "Don't change the subject. Besides, _we_ didn't get married last night."

"I don't know what happened," Derek shook his head, finally turning away from the mirror. "One minute we were at the night club and we were dancing, and then the next we were staring at cherubs painted on the ceiling of a parking garage and Elvis was pronouncing us man and wife."

"God, I can barely…" Casey sighed. "I woke up with the hangover from hell, the worst headache I've ever had in my entire life, and apparently a _husband_."

"Okay, you just need to calm down and think this through," Sam responded.

"Right," Emily agreed. "This is easily solved. We can find a lawyer. You were both drunk—obviously not in the right frame of mind to make a lifetime decision—and you haven't consummated the relationship…you haven't consummated the relationship have you?"

"No!" Derek and Casey exclaimed at the same time.

"There you have it. You'll qualify for an annulment, no problem," Emily said.

"Yes," Casey nodded. "I need a hot shower, some aspirin, coffee, the full story about why happened to you last night and then we can go find a lawyer."

Casey was about to leave the room when Derek called out, "Wait!"

Casey turned back around just before she reached the door, Sam and Emily. "What?"

"Look, we can get an annulment, that's fine…but we're in the middle of our vacation. Can we save this drama for after were done? The circumstances aren't going to change if we let it sit for a couple days. "

"Yes, the circumstances will have changed! We'll have been _married_ for a couple days," Casey corrected.

"You know Derek is right," Emily replied. "This doesn't have to change anything. We can go about whatever we still want to do here. And then meet with a lawyer before we leave. It's not a big deal. It's just a drunken story you can tell everyone and laugh about later."

"No, no, no. We are not telling _anyone_ about this," Casey said firmly.

"Okay, it's our little secret," Emily put her hands up in surrender.

"You know what they say…what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas," Sam commented.

Derek then turned to Casey with one eyebrow raised, "So?"

"Fine," Casey responded reluctantly, "But we see a lawyer the second we are done here."

"Fair enough," Derek nodded in agreement.

"Come on Casey, I'll get you aspirin," Emily replied.

Casey turned and headed for the door. She had just started to step out when Sam and Emily behind her when Derek exclaimed loudly—having finally looked at Sam and Emily more closely.

"Why the hell is Emily wearing Sam's shirt?"


	5. Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is

**A/N: **Here's chapter five. That's all I have to say. Enjoy! R&R! Thanks! –Mac

**Disclaimer: **I don't own LWD.

**Chapter Five**

**Shut Up, and Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is**

"I've changed my mind," Casey announced as the group filed into the elevator to go down to a late breakfast.

"Casey," Derek groaned. He brought a hand up to his face. "Please don't do this right now."

"Tell me Derek, when should I do this?" Casey snapped. "I don't feel right waiting. I want this resolved now so I can forget it ever happened."

"God, we've only been married for less than twenty-four hours and you're already nagging…" Derek replied.

"We are going to get this marriage annulled and then I am going to _kill_ you!" Casey exclaimed. She threw her hands in the air before leaning against one side of the elevator with her arms crossed.

"Now that would put a damper on the whole vacation," Sam commented as the tension in the small space grew exponentially.

Emily snickered before she could stop herself. Casey sent her a glare and Emily put her hands up in surrender. Derek heaved a heavy sigh, glancing at Casey's tense frame. He reached around Sam and pressed the emergency stop button as the elevator slipped between the first floor and ground level. It lurched to a stop, jostling all four of them.

"Der-_ek_!" Casey screeched. "What the hell are you thinking?"

"Well, I was thinking we could have this out here with only a security camera watching or we can wait until we're out in the lobby where who knows how many people can bear witness," Derek explained with one eyebrow raised. "I know how easily you get embarrassed so I figured…but if you would rather do this in the lobby. I can just…"

"No, wait," Casey shook her head. Derek paused with his finger hovering over the button. "Here's better."

"Alright then," Derek nodded. He turned to face Casey. "I think we should wait. You think we should do this now. How do we resolve this?"

"Easy. We start the elevator back up, we have the concierge for the number for a lawyer's office and we get this marriage annulled so we can get on with our lives," Casey answered.

"No," Derek responded simply.

"You're impossible!" Casey exclaimed. "Do you think this is funny or something? Is this a joke to you? Is this some elaborate prank that you're trying to pull on me?"

"Am I laughing?" Derek replied. "No, I'm not, because I know this is serious. And we'll figure everything out. Just after a day or so. This trip is important to me. I don't want anything to ruin it."

"My marital status is important to _me_," Casey said through gritted teeth.

"And waiting a couple days is going to make no difference," Derek shrugged. His eyes traveled down to stare at the floor.

"Is there some other reason why you want us to stay married?" Casey questioned.

"Okay," Sam pressed the button to start the elevator moving again. "That's our cue to give you two some privacy."

"No, you two can stay," Derek put a hand on Sam's shoulder, keeping him from moving as the elevator doors opened. The doors slid back closed as Derek stepped closer to Casey, "I have no other reason than wanting to have a good time on this trip. Do you really want to spend the next couple days tied up in legal affairs? Do you honestly think we could go back to having a good time after that? No, we couldn't. And you would be lying if you said we could."

Casey pursed her lips, "You don't know what I think about anything."

"Fine you know what? I'll bet you for it," Derek responded. He pressed the door open button and headed out into the lobby.

The three followed him all the way into the casino. He made a quick observation of the casino floor before weaving through the people and tables. He stopped at a near deserted roulette table. He waved a hand at it as he turned back to a confused looking Casey.

"What are we doing here, Derek?" Casey raised an eyebrow.

"I'm going to place a bet," Derek answered.

"This is not a time to be gambling," Casey scolded.

"No, this is exactly the time to be gambling," Derek corrected. "I am going to put a bet on a single number. If I win, we stay married. If I lose, we find a lawyer right now."

"Derek…" Casey trailed off.

"Do you know the odds of winning at Roulette with a single number? It's a thirty-five to one pay out, you do the math. I'm practically _giving _you what you want," Derek explained.

"Alright," Casey agreed. "But you have to bet all the chips in your pocket right now."

"That's a lot of chips Case," Derek paled.

"I'm sure it is. But you must have some kind of warped confidence that you're going to win or you wouldn't have made such a wild bet. Play the chips, Derek," Casey replied.

Derek shook his head as he began to pull chips out of his pocket. He stacked them neatly by color. He sighed as he placed the last chip down. He glanced back at Casey, Sam and Emily. Sam shrugged, Emily looked stunned and Casey gave him a nod of encouragement. Derek put his bet on Black 15. The dealer called for nor more bets, and the ball was spun. Everyone inched closer to watch the ball as it circled. Then it began to slow, moving closer to its destination Tick by tick it moved toward fifteen. The ball stopped and everyone held their breath. Derek had his eyes clenched shut for the final few seconds, the suspense too much.

He peeked open one eye as the dealer called out, "Black 15."

"Yes!" Derek exclaimed as the dealer counted out his winnings. He turned back to Casey, "Guess you were right about my warped confidence. It certainly paid off."

Casey's mouth had fallen agape, "But…"

"But…?" Derek prompted.

"Okay," Casey composed herself. She took a deep breath and continued, "Well, you won fair and square. We wait."

Derek smirked, "At least you can accept defeat with dignity. How long are you willing to wait, because I think I just won enough to pay for a pretty substantial honeymoon."

Casey sputtered out a strangled, "Der-_ek_!"

"I was joking!" Derek laughed at the expression that appeared on Casey's face. Sam and Emily joined in with a bout of nervous laughter. Casey's expression softened but she still looked on edge. Derek wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her against his side, "Come on, lighten up. We'll be having so much fun, you won't even be thinking about it."

"I'm still thinking about it," Casey complained as she leaned backwards in her chair. They were eating dinner, at a buffet, hours later.

Sam was sitting across from her and offered her a sympathetic smile. Derek was off wandering around the buffet to get another serving. Emily had skipped off to the dessert bar. Sam was trying to stay preoccupied with his plate but as his food began to dwindle, it became hard to ignore Casey's obvious distress. He stared down at his empty plate and couldn't let Casey's defeated sigh go unnoticed.

"Seriously Casey, cheer up," Sam replied.

"How can I cheer up? I am—" Casey started to rant, but Sam cut her off.

"You are married to Derek," Same finished for her. "So what?"

"So what?" Casey's eyes widened. She was about to tell him exactly how much this was not a moment to be using that expression, but he began to speak again.

"For one you're torturing yourself by thinking about it obsessively. If you could just put it out of your mind for a little bit, you would feel better," Sam said.

"I can't do that," Casey shook her head.

"And also," Sam continued as if Casey hadn't spoken, "You can't say you're completely disappointed with the situation."

"How can you say that?" Casey exclaimed. "Do I seem like I'm happy about this?"

"I think this attitude is a defense mechanism to hide how you really feel about all this. And I can say that because I'm your friend and I know you. The way you look at Derek…I know what it means. I know how you feel. And it's easy for me to say that because you've been looking at him the same way for years. You have been since before you and I dated. You have feelings for him. You always have."

"You don't know what you're talking about," Casey pushed her chair back and stood up.

Sam stood as well, "And you don't get to care that I know that because I am going to tell you something right now with complete certainty. I shouldn't be doing this but I can't trust him to tell you anymore. You deserve to know that he's doing this because he believes that this is the closest he's ever going to be to being in a relationship with you. And he's not ready to give that up yet. He's been so in love with you for so long, he' snot ready to let the feeling of being with you go away."

"He told you that?" Casey said softly. She plopped back down into her seat with her eyes looking off into the distance.

Sam slid back into his own seat. He shook his head slowly, "He didn't have to. He's my best friend. I know him better than he knows himself."

"Oh my God! I got like six kinds of desserts all piled in one bowl and I'm probably going to die of sugar consu—" Emily trailed off as she arrived at the table, sensing the mood. "What did I miss?"

"Nothing," Casey whispered in response.

"Right," Emily replied. "Does this have anything to do with—"

"So, I got some of this thing they just brought out. I have no idea what it is, but it smells amazing and…" Derek arrived at the table with his plate piled high.

"We need to talk," Casey said quietly with her eyes staring down at the table.

"…I figure it has to taste good, right? Man, I love buffets…"

"We need to talk," Casey repeated a little louder.

"…so much good food and we can have as much as we want. I can't believe I'm still hungry after all I've already…"

"We need to talk," Casey exclaimed.

Derek fell silent for a moment, meeting Casey's eyes as she looked up at him. Then he began to speak again, "Can it wait? I don't want my food to get cold. I kinda want to try this mystery dish real—"

"Now," Casey said firmly.

Derek could hear the seriousness in her voice and felt compelled to comply with her demand. "Alright."

Derek sat down his plate before he followed Casey away from the table. She led him down the hallway that housed the bathroom. The empty hallway provided them with adequate privacy for their conversation. Casey stopped and turned to face Derek, with her hands on her hips. Derek stood in front of her, waiting for her to speak. She was about to begin with the door to the woman's restroom swung open and a familiar face stepped out.

The girl grinned as she spotted Derek, "Fancy seeing you here and with your 'not-girlfriend' of all people!"

"Amber, right?" Derek responded.

"Aw, you remembered," Amber near squealed. "I don't think I ever caught your name."

"No, you didn't," Derek said simply.

"Right, you said I was too forward for your taste. But you know, I've always thought I was an _acquired_ taste. You feel up for the challenge?" Amber raised an eyebrow.

"Sorry Amber, but he can't accept that challenge. He's married," Casey interrupted.

"Married?" Amber's eyes widened.

"Yes, to me actually. So I would suggest you run along now." Casey responded. She knew she was being rude, but she needed this girl to evaporate so she could get on with the conversation she had planned to have.

Amber turned to Derek with a scowl etched into her features, "To your not-girlfriend? You know when I asked if she was your girlfriend, instead of saying no, you should have mentioned that she was your _wife_. And FYI, if you're not looking to cheat, you should wear you damn wedding rings."

"It was kind of a recent development," Derek replied.

"Psst, Newlyweds," Amber hissed as she walked away. "Can't pick a decent place for a honeymoon. Come to freakin' Las Vegas. _How romantic_."

As Amber disappeared and the hallway fell silent again, Casey turned back to Derek. She sighed and closed her eyes. She wasn't sure where to begin. She wanted nothing more than to walk away right then and try to forget the things Sam had said, but she couldn't do that. If she wouldn't confront Derek now about all of this she would never muster up the courage to do so. She took a deep breath and began.

"Derek, I need you to be honest with me right now," Casey said quietly. "I want to know the real reason you were willing to bet everything on us staying married, and I don't want any of the crap about wanting the rest of the trip to be fun. I can see right through that transparent BS."

"Casey, I really don't think you want to know the real reason," Derek shook his head. "You'll hate me for it."

"No, you're right. I don't _want_ to know. I _need _to know," Casey responded. "And you never know, I might surprise you."

"Case," Derek began and then closed his mouth before he could continue. He hung his head—he couldn't find a way out of answering, but he couldn't find the right words either.

"Derek, please," Casey pleaded. She took a step closer to him. She placed both of her hands, palm down, on his chest. She curled her fingers slightly, taking his shirt into her grip, "I need to know. I need to hear you say it."

"I don't know how to," Derek replied. He reached up his hands and loosely held on to her wrists. "I don't have the words."

"Derek, just tell me," Casey demanded. She clutched his shirt tighter, causing him to stumble half step closer to her.

"I…" Derek trailed off.

"Come on, Derek," Casey prompted. "Three words, eight letters…"

"You know?" Derek whispered.

Casey smiled softly, "I hoped. I had a tip from a good source, but I couldn't be sure."

"I'm going to kill Sam," Derek muttered.

"Derek," Casey replied, "Why do you want to be married to me?"

"Because I love you," Derek answered. "And even though it was a drunken mistake, a part of me wanted it to be real. I just couldn't let it go away so quickly. And I made the bet because I would give up absolutely _everything_ to have you, if even for a couple days."

"Well, it paid off," Casey said. "You won."

"I don't feel like I won," Derek shrugged.

Casey frowned, "Why not?"

"Because it doesn't change anything. I'm keeping you in this against your will and I still lose you in a couple days…not that I ever had you in the first place," Derek explained, "And now that you know how I feel about you, you're probably going to run away as soon as you can."

"Why would I do that?" Casey tried to repress the grin that was forming on her lips.

"Because…" Derek shook his head. "You're laughing at me."

"Why yes I am. I'm laughing at you because you're an idiot," Casey responded.

"Thanks, Casey," Derek tightened his grip on her wrists and pulled them from his chest. He dropped them down at her sides. "That makes me feel so much better."

Derek started to back away, but Casey matched him step for step. She got a hold of his shirt with both hands again and pulled him back close to her. Derek opened his mouth to tell her to just let him go—so he could save himself from further embarrassment—but she clamped a hand over his mouth to keep him from speaking.

"You're an idiot because you never saw, you couldn't see that you've _always_ had me," Casey replied. "I only wanted to get this all done and over with quickly because I was afraid it would ruin the indifferent façade I had put up. I was afraid that I would get my hopes up and you would see how I felt about you. You see, I was certain you didn't feel the same. But now that I know you do…"

"You mean…?" Derek trailed off as a smile crept over his face.

"I love you too, Derek." Casey said softly. "And I would have bet everything to keep you too."


	6. A Little Less Conversation

**A/N: **I finally got around to writing another chapter of this story. I'm almost done now guys. There's only one more chapter to write after this. I hope you enjoy this chapter, please vote in my poll and R&R! Thanks! –Mac

**Disclaimer: **I don't own.

**Chapter Six**

**A Little Less Conversation, A Little More Action Please**

Derek fisted his hands in the loose fabric at the hem of Casey's shirt, effectively pulling her even closer to him. Casey released her grip on Derek's shirt and let her hands slide back to clasp together behind his neck. She couldn't fight the smile that settled on her lips and she was comforted that she didn't look like a raving lunatic because Derek wore a matching smile. They stood that way, their arms wrapped around each other and quietly staring into each other's eyes, for a long time. There was nothing left to say and they were content to take a moment to truly process what had just occurred.

But that moment could only last so long. Casey's smile shifted to a light smirk, "So, you are going to kiss me or what?"

Derek sighed, "You don't think we should talk about what this means for us?"

"We can talk about it later. Right now I want you to shut up and kiss me."

"You don't have to tell me twice," Derek said with his grin widening.

Using one hand to push her hair out of her face, he drew her to him. Casey's eyes fluttered closed as she waited for him to close the rest of the distance between their lips. After a few torturous seconds, his lips finally met hers and she concluded that it made up for every second they had missed out on. Casey tightened her grip on Derek's neck and rose up on the tips of her toes to press against him. With one arm around her waist and the other hand in her hair, Derek held her steady as he deepened the kiss. Their lips and tongues melded together with increased urgency until they had to pull away for air. Casey shifted back to stand flat on her feet and Derek leaned forward to rest his forehead in the crook of her neck. She could feel his warm breath on her skin as he sighed out her name. Casey pulled out of his embrace, took both his hands in hers and began to guide him back out of the hallway.

"Take me upstairs," Casey said, tugging him in the direction of the elevator.

Derek leaned in the direction of the buffet, "But my food and I haven't had dessert yet."

Casey released his hand to put both of her hands on her hips. "Are you going to make me say it?"

Derek smirked, "I'd really like it if you did."

"Fine," Casey huffed. She took a deep breath before batting her eyes and swaying close to him again. She ran her hands up his chest and said huskily, "If you come upstairs with me, there will be a different kind of dessert waiting for you." She dropped the act abruptly, "Happy?"

"Ecstatic," Derek laughed and dipped down to kiss her one more time before pulling her toward the elevators.

In the elevator on the ride up, Derek stood beside Casey with one arm wrapped territorially around her waist. In the enclosed space, they were both thinking about what they were moving toward. Just when Casey thought the tension was going to overwhelm her, Derek's fingers slipped under the hem of her shirt to tickle her bare skin. She leaned into his side, arching her back against the sensation. Derek tilted his head to kiss the top of Casey's head. The gesture made her stomach flutter with a million sets of butterfly wings. As unconventional as their relationship was, she was surprised how much it resembled a stereotypical romantic movie. When the elevator doors opened, Derek laced his fingers through Casey's and they walked the distance to their suite hand in hand. Casey was confronted by a sudden bout of nerves. She tried to swallow them down and recapture her confidence from earlier. When Derek's shaking hands cause him to take three or four failed tries to get the key card in the door, she realized he was nervous too. She smiled and ran a hand through his hair before wrapping her hand around his to steady it enough to slide the key into the slot. Derek pushed the door open but before Casey could walk in, she found herself being picked up bridal style. She laughed as Derek cradled her in his arms.

"What are you doing?" Casey gasped through her laughter.

"It's tradition," Derek replied as he kicked the door open further and carried her inside.

"For the wedding night, which for us was _last night_," Casey said.

"Well, I don't remember much of last night, so I'm making tonight count," Derek said.

Casey smiled, but didn't respond. Instead, she let her head roll into the crook of Derek's neck, and pressed soft kisses against where his pulse began to race. Derek let out a soft groan at her actions. He was only a foot or so from his doorway and, distracted by Casey's mouth, he stumbled. Casey let out a small squeak as they were jostled, but once he righted himself she returned her mouth to his skin.

"You keep that up and I'm going to drop you before we get to the bed," Derek tilted his head to dislodge her lips, even thought the loss of contact was disappointing.

Casey smirked, "Sorry, carry on."

Derek shook his head slightly and continued the rest of the short distance into his room and to the bed. He leaned to gently put Casey down on the bed. Once she was safely among the pillows, Derek climbed up beside her. He propped himself up on one elbow to look down at her. He wanted to memorize her face, her neck, her hands, and every inch of her. He wanted to reach out and touch her, but his hands were still shaking. He needed to calm his racing heart before he gave himself away. The two words that fell from Casey's lips proved it was too late for that.

"You're nervous," Casey whispered.

"I just want to know what you're thinking Case, you seem so sure of everything and I think if we talked this out I wouldn't be so afraid. I just don't want to mess this up, and this really means something. This changes everything and it's happening really fast and I don't want you to think that it doesn't mean as much to me as—"

Casey leaned up to kiss Derek before he rambled on further. When she pulled back, she met his eyes straight on, "I'm nervous too, but I want this to happen right now. If we talk about it, I'll talk myself out of it and I don't think either of us wants that. I think too much but I'm ready for this and I don't want to think anymore."

"Are you sure?" Derek asked.

"Yes," Casey nodded, "Now, no more talking."

This time when Casey pulled Derek down to her, he didn't come back up. This was everything they had wanted for years but had been too scared to take for themselves. The fact that it took getting married for them to even admit that they loved each other was evidence to that. They couldn't help not caring how they got to where they were, because all that really mattered was that they got there. Now that the circumstances had turned out in both of their favors, Derek was already thinking about how he was going to tell the story of how he and Casey had gotten married before they started dating. If nothing else it was probably one of the most interesting love stories—he couldn't even make up this kind of thing. His mind was racing through all these thoughts but when Casey pulled him under the sheets, his mind stopped working all together. The one thought that had lingered was that at least _this_ night he would remember forever.

O-O-O

Back at the buffet, Sam and Emily were still sitting at their table. Emily pulled a few five dollar chips out of her pocket and stacked them in a neat stack in front of her. Then with one hand, she slid them across the table to Sam.

"Your winnings," Emily said.

"Thank you kindly," Sam took the chips and made a dramatic show of counting them, "Looks like they're all here."

Emily rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest. "I was too optimistic. I thought for sure that first night at the nightclub would have been enough."

"It takes a drunken Vegas wedding to put things in perspective, I guess," Sam replied with a grin as he pocketed the chips.

"I can't believe I lost," Emily shook her head, "And by less than twenty-four hours too."

"Well, you did win one thing," Sam grinned wider before leaning over to kiss her.

Emily was smiling when he pulled away, "You're beyond cheesy, but you're right about that."

"If it makes you feel better Lizzie and Edwin are going to be pissed Derek and Casey didn't hold out two more days," Sam said.

"Should I tell them you cheated? I think they'd love to hear that you blatantly revealed relevant information to Casey instead of letting her figure it out on her own," Emily raised an eyebrow.

"Hey," Sam exclaimed, "What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas."

Emily smiled and reached for Sam's hand, "Well, not everything."

Sam nodded and gave her hand a squeeze, "Yeah, you're right. It would be a real shame if _everything_ stayed in Vegas."


	7. What Happens In Vegas

**A/N: **This is the final chapter for What Happens In Vegas. I wrote it awhile ago, but I haven't gotten round to typing it or posting it because I've been working on a lot of stuff for school. Had a little free time tonight so I figured that I might as well get going on the stuff I have to type. This story has been fun to write, and I wish I had been able to be more consistent with updating it. But it's finished now, and I'm happy with how it went. Enjoy! R&R! (Please vote in my poll) Thanks! –Mac

**Disclaimer: **I don't own.

**Chapter Seven**

**What Happens In Vegas**

Casey folded up the last of her clothes and began to neatly tuck each pile into her luggage. She was in the process of zipping her bag closed when two strong arms wrapped around her waist and a pair of lips attached themselves to her neck. Derek pressed in close to her back and when she tilted her head, he took advantage of the better access to her neck. Casey sighed and leaned back to rest her head on his shoulder.

"You better not start that again," Casey warned and reluctantly pulled away, twisting around to face Derek. "Remember what happened last time? We're already on track to be late for check out if we don't finish packing. We don't need any additional distractions."

"I rather enjoyed what happened last time," Derek smirked and took the couple steps forward required to back Casey into the edge of the bed where she had been packing her bag. "Besides, I'm already done packing and from the looks of it, you are too."

Derek got a grip on Casey's hips and lifted her up to sit her on the edge of the bed. Then he slid himself forward to settle between her legs. He angled his head to capture her lips in a slow and languid kiss. Sliding his hands up her sides, he dipped his fingers under the hem of her shirt and tickled her sides lightly. Casey giggled against his lips and he smiled. He shoved Casey's luggage further over on the bed, and shifted Casey up onto the bed to lay her back. He leaned over her, not breaking away from her lips. He was about to proceed with divesting Casey of all of her clothes—which she had barely gotten back on twenty minutes before—and having his wicked way with her again when someone cleared his throat behind them. Casey and Derek both sat up to glare at the intruder. Sam stood leaning against the doorframe with Emily pressed against his side.

"Hate to break it to you two love birds, but it's about time we cleared out," Sam said, and then added, laughing to himself, "and you should learn to lock the door."

"Yeah," Emily nodded, "You never know who could walk in on you in this city."

Derek reluctantly pulled away from Casey and offered her a hand to help her back to her feet. Then he turned to Sam and Emily to say, "Hey, we're newlyweds—this behavior is only _natural_."

Casey rolled her eyes as she grabbed her bags, "That, and Derek is insatiable to the point of gluttony."

"You know you love it," Derek muttered huskily and swooped in to kiss Casey's cheek before he grabbed his own bag off of the floor by the door and moved past Sam and Emily.

Casey shook her head slightly, even as she smiled, and followed after Derek. The group gathered up all their luggage and belongings and prepared to leave the suite. They took one final look at the room, already feeling reminiscent of the last few days and nights which—however cloudy or alcohol hazed they were—could be considered some of the best they had ever experienced. Then they filed out into the hallway and closed the door on the crazy, out of control, amazing time they had there.

Falling into step beside Derek, Casey linked her arm through his. She leaned into his side and rested her head on his shoulder. "Is it going to be the same between us when we get home?"

Derek frowned, "Of course it is, why wouldn't it be?"

"You're not going to suddenly realize all this was just a symptom of temporary insanity induced by the rush of being in a place like Vegas?" Casey asked, looking up at him with questioning eyes.

"Are you?" Derek countered.

"No," Casey shook her head. "I loved you before and I'll love you after."

Stopping in front of the elevators to wait for a lift, Derek turned to face Casey full on and took both of her hands in his, "I feel the same way."

Casey smiled, "Okay then."

Derek leaned in to kiss her, causing both Sam and Emily to roll their eyes.

Emily made a fake gagging sound in the back of her throat. "You two are actually starting to make me sick with how cute you are."

"Don't hate us just cause we're perfect for each other," Derek said and wrapped an arm around Casey's shoulders, pulling her close against his side again.

"Hey, I say soak it up while you can, because in a few hours the honeymoon is going to be over and then you're going to have to explain the little development in your relationship to your family," Sam said, holding back a laugh as he stepped into the elevator when its doors opened.

With wide eyes, Derek and Casey shared a look.

"_Shit_."

o-o-o

Nora and George had invited the four over for dinner the night they arrived home for Vegas because they had likely gone too long without a healthy, home cooked meal—and had likely consumed more alcohol than actual food in the duration of the trip. The four arrived together and Sam and Emily went right in to be greeted by the entire MacDonald-Venturi brood. Derek and Casey stalled on the porch, nervous about seeing their family again after all that had happened in Vegas. The pair was uncertain about revealing the most important development. Finally, Derek just had to drag Casey into the house. They would have to get it over with eventually.

"Derek, Casey, how was your trip?" Nora asked with a smile as soon as they came through the door.

Before either could answer, they were pulled into a round of hugs by each member of their family. Though they had come in standing close together as they were embraced repeatedly by their parents and siblings, Derek and Casey were separated a few feet. Eventually, Derek was allowed to breathe again when Nora finally released him and took a few steps back to look at both him and Casey. Nora was still smiling happily as she looked at them expectantly.

"So, how was it? Tell us all about it. We want to know everything."

"Well, we gambled a lot, I won a pile of cash, we tried a lot of buffets, we walked the strip, did some shopping, Sam and Emily got together and," as he spoke Derek inconspicuously reached back for Casey's hand and when she laced her fingers with his, he slowly pulled her forward to stand close beside him, "Casey and I got married."

The smile slid off Nora's face as her expression contorted to one of shock. George paled and looked as if he was about to pass out. A still silence followed and dragged on until Edwin and Lizzie began to pull money from their pockets. The curious eyes of Derek, Casey, Nora and George turned to watch as Emily directed Edwin and Lizzie to Sam. Sam held out his hand with a wide grin and the two reluctantly shoved the cash into his palm. Sam pocketed his winnings and beamed proudly.

"Should I even ask?" Edwin raised an eyebrow.

Sam shrugged, raised his hands in a cheeky 'what can you do?' gesture and said, "You know what they say about what happens in Vegas…"

fin.


End file.
